youthlarge's bibimbop

Friday, February 13, 2009

The Pregnant Straphanger is REALLY falling behind

Oh dear, I can't keep track of anything anymore, but these happened the past week or so. At this point I need a seat at all times and don't say no to anyone. Standing for more than a few minutes at a time is uncomfortable and tiring. The doctors tell me they won't let me go beyond 38 weeks, but that's still 3 weeks away. I need a Jazzy.

17.Q trainWhite woman, late 30s/early 40s maybe, with a head wrap noticed me at the Canal St. stop so I got to sit from Canal to Union Square.

18.B or DEastern European couple in their 50s.I'm not sure who saw me first, but I think the wife made the husband get up and give me his seat.

19.4 or 5 African American lady in her 50s.The commute home from my uptown doctor's appointment sucks. I start at the 4/5, one of the least pregnant lady friendly trains. I then transfer at Fulton to the A or C where it's always a scene and it's pretty much guaranteed that I won't get a seat. I did manage to get a seat for the first stage of this commute thanks to this lady.

20.Q trainGot on the train and initially stood in front of an Israeli guy who proceeded to look at my belly and then up to my face. He did this about 4 or 5 times, then the twentysomething Eastern European guy next to him got up and pointed to his seat.

Friday, February 06, 2009

The Pregnant Straphanger is falling behind

15.January 28Q train / DekalbAsian woman, 60s

I honestly felt terrible about taking this seat and was very close to declining. The woman looked like she was a few years older than my mother. She did look to be in very good shape though which made me feel a little better, I think. Without words, she communicated that I should take her seat and so I did.

Molly and I were taking the same train after work one day. I think it was Friday the 30th. Some dude offered up his seat, but I think it was only because Molly said something about no one offering me a seat and he happened to be sitting closest to where we were standing. Haha.

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Pregnant Straphanger needs to keep her coat unzipped

14.January 27Q train / DekalbCaucasian woman, late 20s

Though I usually take off my hat and scarf, and unzip my coat when I get to the subway platform because I'm about to pass out from heatstroke, there are some super frigid mornings where I choose to stay bundled up. This morning was particularly cold and there was a long wait for the bus, so I kept my jacket zipped. The train wasn't packed but of course I wasn't quick enough to grab an empty seat. About 1/3 of the way over the Manhattan Bridge, the woman noticed me and got my attention to offer me her seat. She was a crunchy, outdoorsy type who probably knew about Sigg bottles way before anyone else. She smiled and told me I should keep my coat open as she got up. I wanted to tell her that an open coat rarely makes a difference, that there are too may commuters on the train and bus who are douches and just don't care. Also I think even with my coat zipped I look pretty big.

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Pregnant Straphanger - I won the seat lottery

I am getting really bad at guessing people ages so bear with me. On this Tuesday morning, I won the seat lottery. I boarded the B38 and a young person offered me her seat. I declined because she was wedged between two fatties. The lady to her right was big, the the man to her left was huge and also taking up half her seat. The poor girl only had the front few inches of her seat and still had to lean forward to sit. She was little and looked uncomfortable herself. At the next stop, someone got off and the woman standing next to me offered the empty seat to me first before taking it for herself. I declined because there were just a couple more stops to go and not much traffic. More people got on and I had to keep moving to the rear of the bus (something that a lot of B38 riders seem incapable of doing). So at the following stop I was standing at a different part of the bus and another lady offered me her seat.

13.January 13Q train / DekalbA DUDE! Late 20s/early 30s?

I have no idea what his ethnicity was. He looked like he could be half Asian or Mexican. I really don't know. But anyway, he was the first dude and only dude to ever offer my pregnant ass a seat on the subway, although yesterday an older Hasidic man moved his coat off the unoccupied bump seat before I could even ask him to. That request is usually met with a stare or a glare. I think all my chips have been used up because no one has given me their seat the last 10 days and I think I might have gotten twice as big. Also more people are bumping into me or making me walk around them (like the idiot lady this morning on the subway platform who stood right in front of the doors as they opened, blocking my path out). Maybe I should rename these posts to the Pregnant and Cranky Straphanger.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Pregnant Straphanger - I think Carla from Top Chef gave me her seat

She didn't have the kooky frames and hair, but this lady reminded me of Carla from the current season of Top Chef, mainly because she was wearing a coat that I imagine would not seem out of place in Carla's closet. While we're on the subject of Top Chef, I am glad Carla wasn't sent packing last week. Eugene and whatsherface had both long overstayed their welcome. Eugene, I had high, high hopes for you, but man, you had a really warped sense of creativity and originality. Whatsherface, how did you even manage to stay on this long?

Friday, December 19, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger - 2 in one day!

What a great start to the week. I declined the first offer because I didn't have much of a wait at the bus stop, I unknowingly boarded a Limited bus (bonus!) and there wasn't much traffic going down Dekalb Ave. I figured I had used up my bi-weekly quota but then on the B train, I got offered a seat by a different lady who kind of resembled the first! She also reminded me of Clapping Lady. Sometimes you can sense that someone is going to do it and this was one of those cases. She kept looking around and finally when the train starting moving and no one else had given up their spot, she gave me hers. I'll take it!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger has a little more faith in humanity

5.December 9Q / DekalbAfrican-American lady in her mid twenties

This was one of those days where I felt defeated by the time I got to the subway platform. DMR and I are both under the weather (he with a cold, me with possibly a cold and some bizarre onset of late second trimester all day morning sickness). The bus stop was a clustferfuck though I did manage to get on a Limited (the 3rd of 4 buses that rolled down the street within seconds of each other). I got to stand in front of two large men taking up all three priority seats. I suppose I did get a bit of joy watching large man #2 continually push the stop sign and the bus driver ignoring the call since we were on a limited.

I weeble-wobbled down the steps to see both the B and R trains close their doors. I was planning to take the R but now wanting to wait, I got on the Q that came some minutes later. The train was super packed and I made my way in towards a pole. There were bodies all around me when a hand reached through the mass and tapped me. It was a woman offering me her seat. I have no idea how she saw me amid all the other commuters, but her gesture was a godsend.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger

This woman might be my favorite seat giver-upper to date. I had my headphones on so she stood up from her seat and tapped me on the shoulder to offer me her place. I was only going two stops and the G wasn't crowded so I took a pass but the gesture is always appreciated. Sometimes I wonder if I am coming across as unappreciative by saying no. Anyway, she reminded me of this lady from Flight of the Concords who was also on an episode of Mad Men as one of the phone operators.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger - the drought is broken, phew!

3.December 3B or D train, 34th StreetMiddle-aged white womanGood grief, it had been nearly a month since I was last offered a seat and my belly is so much bigger now! I got on the B or D train at Bryant Park to start my commute home. Didn't get a seat for the first stop, but at 34th Street I had to shift over due to all the additional passengers getting on and found myself standing in front of three middle aged ladies. Well, the one closest to me on the left may have been older, but the one in the bump seat was definitely middle-aged. Let's call her Ivanka. Ivanka had on mink coat and an icy stare. Oh, and tons of foundation. Blecch. The woman on the right reminded me of the tall, skinny lady from Troop Beverly Hills who is dispatched to spy on Shelly Long's troop. She had that librarian look and was appropriately enough, reading an educational catalog. Anyway, she offered me her seat but as I only had one stop to go, I declined.

Monday, November 24, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger - seat stealing and seat hogging = NOT COOL!

I’ve totally jinxed myself.No one has offered me a seat since those back to back days the other week.In fact, people have gotten assy!Last week I was on the 4/5 going to work or the doctor’s office, I can’t remember.Someone got out of their seat and I was moving over to take it when this lady zipped from across the train and totally stole it from me.I can’t help if I move slowly these days.I was super pissed so I said to her, “nice to steal a seat from a pregnant lady” but unfortunately she had headphones in her ears. So I said it a second time, but I doubt she heard that, too.

P.S. Don’t let her looks deceive you – she was not elderly, she was just a hag.

On the A train portion of the ride home on Friday, I did something I normally wouldn’t do and wedged myself into a seat that was barely roomy enough for a toddler. It was the end of the work week and I was tired and wanted to sit. I shimmied my way in and it wasn’t the most comfortable for me or my seat mates, sorry guys. The woman to the left of me was normal sized so she was inconvenienced less, but the guy to my right was large. Also he was taking up half of the middle seat as there was a giant suitcase to his left right (whoops, baby brains!). I tried to make myself as small as possible.

I figured this luggage belonged either to him or to the person closer to the aisle in the 2 seater perpendicular to the 3 seater we were seated in because they were the two closest people to it. But then the guy next to me got up for his stop and the luggage stayed. After that the lady in the two seater got up for her stop and the luggage didn’t move. The suitcase belonged to the guy in the window seat! Four people had to sit awkwardly while he stretched out his legs. His idiocy was bothering everyone in the section except for him! What an ASS! So at this point the lady to my left is still there, but now there’s a woman to the right of me. A burlyish man gets on and sits in the aisle seat. After 10 seconds, he pushes the suitcase a couple inches from him, while asking the woman to the right if it belonged to her. When she tells him no, he pushed it a couple more inches away at which point suitcase owner man tells him not to push his suitcase. This sets off burly man, who decided to be tough guy and starting yelling about this being his train and if suitcase guy didn’t like it, he could get off. Suitcase guy’s defense was that he paid $2, which burly tough guy was not buying and there was some more back and forth. Mind you, suitcase guy was also tiny! When I first heard his voice I thought he was an elderly woman. Even though I could tell he was annoying, I was on burly tough guy’s side until he decided to be condescending and asked suitcase guy if he understood, in the language he assumed was suitcase guy’s native tongue. So exhausting.

Friday, November 14, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger - CRANKY!

First I'm cranky at the girl who kept leaning on the pole she and I were sharing on the 4 train. Lean on the pole all you want if you're the only one holding on, but I was there first and there is no reason for your hand, your hair and your person to come into contact with me.

The next person on my list is the dodohead with the handcart at Grand Central. The morning congestion had cleared up so there was a ton of space to maneuver but somehow he wound up rolling his cart right in front of me from across the main hall and stopping me in my tracks. Asshole!

Also, this unseasonably warm November weather is making me shvitz like a chazzer.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger has nothing new to report

DMR wants me to post these updates every day. Every day?! Who does he think I am? That would severely cut into my laying on the couch, eating bon bons and watching Top Chef time. I have not been offered any new seats since my initial update. I hope I didn't jinx myself. Yesterday on the way to work I stood by a 20-something white dude who looked up at me a couple times and then went back to concentrating on his PSP. This morning I had to wait around for the maintenance people (who of course never showed up) so I went into work a little later than normal. That resulted in a very not crowded bus (I got a seat but unfortunately a highly perfumed lady sat down next to me at the next stop and I thought I was going to barf). The R was pulling into the station just as I got to the platform and that wasn't very crowded either. Super easy commute, hooray!

Saturday, November 08, 2008

The Pregnant Straphanger

I am a little over 5 months pregnant with identical twin boys and my belly seems to have exploded in the past two weeks. My commute to and from work kind of sucks. The morning involves a very crowded bus and two trains. Going home I take 3 trains but can usually get a seat for 2/3 of the ride. As mentioned in the post I made 30 seconds prior to this, I was offered a seat by someone on the train for the first (and second) time this week and am going to try to keep track of when it happens. My guess is that 95% of the time, it will be a woman giving up their seat. I don't anticipate ever being offered a seat on the bus because the last person I saw offer one to a pregnant lady was me, when I was 3 months preggo!

1.November 6Q / Dekalb Avenue30-something African-American womanThe first time! I was shocked because I had the hoodie under my coat zipped up and didn't think my belly was obvious. But I was also thrilled and grateful because it was one of those mornings when the bus took forever and the waiting always wipes me out. Thank you, lady!

2.November 74 / Union Square20-something (definitely early 20s) white womanThe third portion of my regular morning commute involves transfering from the Q or R to the 4,5,6 at Union Square. This time I declined the seat offer because I was feeling ok and I only had one stop to go.